The Queen’s Garden: Oral Histories of the Piedmont Foodshed seeks to collect the stories of those who grow, cultivate, produce, and distribute fresh food in the greater Charlotte region.
A lot of changes have happened to our foodshed over the past half-century. Growing urbanization and an active farm-to-fork movement have created new demands, while encroaching sprawl and rising land costs have led to new innovations like agrotourism, urban farming, and growing microgreens. This oral history project explores both the rewards and challenges of those who currently and historically have participated in and helped to create the region’s foodshed. By documenting the oral histories of farmers, gardeners, ranchers, gleaners, and other distribution efforts, we hope to portray the sometimes unexpected and creative ways that local food production and distribution has occurred and changed over time.
List
| Interviewees |
Subjects |
Organizations / Businesses |
Date Established |
Location |
| Abernathy, Jack |
Farm |
|
|
Connelly Springs, NC |
| Barbee,Tommy |
Farm |
Barbee Farms |
~1900 |
Concord, NC |
| Belk, Katherine “Peanut” |
Farm |
Wild Hope Farm |
2017 |
Chester, SC |
| Brun, Kate |
Greenhouse agriculture |
Lucky Leaf Gardens |
2010 |
Harrisburg, NC |
| Buch, Kim |
Food Distribution |
Niner Pantry at UNCC |
2014 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Bush Carter, Lucy |
Food Distribution |
Friendship Trays |
1976 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Byrd, Rebecca |
Community Garden |
Student Community Garden at UNCC |
2014 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Carrigan, Doug |
Farm, agrotourism |
Carrigan Farm |
1902 |
Mooresville, NC |
| Correll, David |
Farm |
Correll Farms LLC |
1880 |
Cleveland, NC |
| Culver, Erin |
Farm |
Lil Urban Farm |
2017 |
York, SC |
| Deneau, Carie |
Greenhouses, Farming, Healthy Eating |
Tega Hills Farm |
1999 |
Fort Mill, SC |
| Dover, Elizabeth Anne |
Farm, wine |
The Farm at Dover Vineyards |
2009 |
Concord, NC |
| Eagan, Shelley Proffit |
Livestock |
Proffitt Family Cattle Company |
2008 |
Kings Mountain, NC |
| Eaves, Anson |
Feed Mill |
Bethel Feed & Farm |
1957 |
Midland, NC |
| Edwards, Ronald |
Farm |
Springs Farms |
1936 |
Fort Mill, SC |
| Ellis, Audra |
Livestock |
Ellis Farms |
2012 |
Lincolnton, NC |
| Ferebee, James |
Livestock |
Ferebee Farm |
2015 |
Rock Hill, SC |
| Fine, Janice |
Farm |
Seven Sisters’ Farm |
2023 |
Denton, NC |
| Fletcher, Chris |
Farm |
Personal Farm |
2008 |
Cabarrus County, NC |
| Ford, Nadine |
Community Garden |
Little Sugar Creek Community Garden |
2009 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Foster, Amy |
Livestock |
Gilcrest Natural Farm |
2007 |
Iron Station, NC |
| Furr, Curtis |
Farm |
Curtis Furr Farm |
~1900 |
Albemarle, NC |
| Godman, Mendy; Hawes, Sue; April, Kim |
Food Distribution |
Feeding Charlotte (formally Food Connection) |
2018 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Gonzalez, Mario |
|
|
1999 |
Salisbury, NC |
| Hall, Lara |
Farm |
Hall Family Farm |
2008 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Hall, Rickey |
Policy, activism, urban gardening |
West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition |
~2016 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Hendel, Emma |
Farm, Greenhouse agriculture, Healthy Eating, Organic Farming, Urban Farm |
Fair Share Farm, LLC |
2014 |
Pfafftown, NC |
| Johnson, Chantel |
Homestead, livestock |
Off Grid in Color |
2017 |
Salisbury, NC |
| Jzar, Cherie |
Farm |
Deep Roots CPS Farm |
2019 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Littlejohn, Ernestine |
|
|
|
Charlotte, NC |
| Matthews, Lisa |
Food Distribution |
The Bulb Gallery |
2016 |
Charlotte, NC |
| McAllister, George |
Beekeeping |
Mecklenburg Beekeepers Association |
2008 |
Charlotte, NC |
| McKenzie and Suydam |
Community Garden |
Avondale Presbyterian |
|
Charlotte, NC |
| McLeod, T. |
Organic Farming |
McLeod Organics |
|
Huntersville, NC |
| Miller, Justin |
Farm |
Cherry Hill Farms |
2011 |
Mocksville, NC |
| Moore, Gene |
Farm |
Farmer Gene’s Farm |
|
Marshville, NC |
| Newman, Conner and Schoch, Kim |
Farm |
Hodges Family Farm |
1905 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Newton, Aaron |
Farm |
Lomax Farm |
2009 |
Concord, NC |
| Orders, Justin |
Farm |
Queen’s Orders Honey |
2020 |
Huntersville, NC |
| Mace, Rita |
Farm |
|
~1826-1876 |
Connelly Springs, NC |
| Parker, Rickie |
|
|
2004 |
Albemarle, NC |
| Ritchie, Craig and Eric |
Farm |
Charlotte Green |
1991 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Robinson, Mark and Mindy |
Urban Farm, Greenhouses |
Tega Hills Farm |
1999 |
Fort Mill, SC |
| Rowland, Joe |
Organic Farming |
Rowland Row Farm |
2012 |
Gold Hill, NC |
| Shaw, Kim |
Urban Farm |
Small City Farm |
2009 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Sherman, Lisa |
Greenhouses, Farming |
Tega Hills Farm |
1999 |
Fort Mill, SC |
| Shull, Cissy |
Urban Farm |
Charlotte Green |
1991 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Siers, Jean |
Gleaning |
Society of St. Andrew |
1983 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Smith, Mike |
Livestock |
Big Oak Farm |
~1820 |
Kannapolis, NC |
| Stevens, Jeff |
Livestock |
Muddy Springs Farm |
2005 |
Iron Station, NC |
| Sumerel, Jerry and Tayna |
Beekeeping |
Honeysuckle Hill Bee Farm |
~2011 |
Concord, NC |
| Taylor, Philip |
Farm |
|
|
Connelly Springs, NC |
| Tempest, Brett |
Farm |
Gather Ye Honey |
2020 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Thorstenson, Robb |
Organic Farming |
Wise Acres Organic Farm |
2012 |
Indian Trail, NC |
| Turton, Tim |
Community Garden |
Mecklenburg County Community Gardens |
|
Charlotte, NC |
| Watson, Matt |
Livestock |
Watson Farms |
1969 |
Chester, SC |
| Williams, Ed |
Community Garden |
Myers Park Baptist Church |
2013 |
Charlotte, NC |
| Wyatt, Zack |
Urban Farming, activism |
Carolina Farm Trust |
~2015 |
Cornelius, NC |
| Yow, Eddie |
Livestock |
Yow Farm |
|
Stanfield, NC |
Map